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Trust researchers help launch major new science festival

Researchers from Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London took part in the first day of New Scientist Live in September, where they showcased some of the innovative work taking place in cardiovascular medicine.

The team took part in an interactive workshop, called Hands on Hearts. Visitors met Trust and College researchers and had the opportunity to try out a 3D cardiac catheter simulator and see animal heart specimens.

The workshop gave visitors an insight into the advances in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and magnetically guided heart rhythm treatment, which are used together at the Trust to treat people with heart problems.

Visitors also met researchers from Imperial College London and made their own electro dough heart cells, found out about electriticty within the heart and how work on cells is helping heart rhythm research.

The four-day event where speakers included astronaut Tim Peake and comedian and TV presenter Dara O’Briain, took place in the ExCeL London and attracted thousands of visitors. It describes itself as a “festival of ideas and discovery” and promotes “the biggest, best and most provocative science”.

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, British Heart Foundation congenital heart disease senior lecturer and consultant cardiologist, said: “It was a fantastic event and a fun opportunity to showcase to members of the public, and other researchers and scientists, the exciting work that is taking place at the Trust. Visitors were fascinated to be shown animal heart specimens by Dr Karen McCarthy (pictured) from our cardiac morphology team, and were keen to see the advanced heart imaging performed at the Trust thanks to the work of our principal physicist, Dr Jenny Keegan.”